Dangerous? Maybe. Impressive? Yes.

I was in a pinch, hand't ordered framing materials and crew was starting next day, couldn't get it delivered anymore. So I picked up a 16' Tandem Trailer rated at 7000 lbs and chanced it with my 2.7L. Aside from not having brakes, it handled the load really well. I'm guessing I had maybe 3-4000 lbs on there plus trailer weight of 1500lbs. Before you get all over me, the drive back to the job site was 2 miles and I did 30mph the whole way. Anyways, I was just impressed with what that little 2.7 could handle.






and the project:

 

4 banger doin work!!

 

Woah, that is definitely a bit of weight there!

That front axle on the trailer was feelin' it when turning!

 

yes indeed. They are 3500 lb axles, so I know they can take it, but yes they were not so happy. I don't think I could really expect to put any MORE weight on that thing, even though it should be able to handle another 500 or so lbs. But then again I'm estimating at the actual weight that was on there, so who knows. Would have been nice to have been able to put that on a scale.

 

Get er done!

 

Towing this load brings up a big quandary for me, namely whether or not I should get a full size truck.

I expect to have to do something similar to this at least 1x per job (filling in on materials between deliveries), so several times per year. Not all the trips between lumber yard and job site will be as close as this was, necessitating brakes and a brake controller. I could add these things to my truck and be safer for longer hauls, but my speed would still be limited to ~35-40mph with the 2.7L.

It seems to me that getting a half ton with a stout V8 will be necessary, I just really hate all my options... best option for that is like an '09 ram with a HEMI as they can be had for around 22k with low mileage and 4x4. But then, it's a ram. Do I trust it?

How much more able is a 2nd gen V6 4x4 quad cab than my 2.7L? This is really the truck I WANTED to upgrade to before I started understanding that I will be needing to tow regularly. As much as I want that truck, it seems silly to entertain the idea of it and rather that I should just jump up to a half ton and bite the bullet. At least then I know for a fact that I can handle any job that comes my way, regardless of whether or not I like the truck I'm driving as much as another.

 

There's a lot to be said for the manufacturers recommended tow rating. It's around 6500 for a V6 taco with tow pkg iirc.

Lots of guys will tell you to go overkill for towing. But a well loaded dual axle trailer with brakes usually follows nicely behind any truck rated for the weight.

 

the 2nd gen v6 taco pulls great....but shity milage towing..if you love tacos and go wheeling and stuff get a 2nd gen v6 double cab long bed...with air bags out back....or get a tundra with the smaller v8 and have more power more room massive brakes and rear end..with the smaller v8 4.6 not the 5.7 you will get 22mpg on the highway and around 16-18 around town which is equal if not better then the taco.....i traded my built 2005 duramax on my taco so i could have a dual purpose truck...dd,reliable,decent on gas,nice ride,great resale,great offroad,good looking etc etc etc.......either way stay away from ram, i personally dont like fords my dads a ford guy and there always problems an he keeps buying them stubborn old man....im a chevy guy and have had many, i love them and my dmax would smoke the tires towing a 14k excavator/trailer but as far as halfton trucks you cant beat the tundra

 

I've owned two fords...a 2002 F250 and a 2004 F150 FX4. Towed with both. I never had any issues towing but those trucks were in the shop constantly for one thing or another. Had to replace transmissions in both well before I expected I would have to.

I've towed probably 20 times or so with my 2010 V6 DC and beyond the shitty gas mileage (and yes, it's fucking shitty), it's always handled the load wonderfully--about 3500 lbs on avg. Never felt sluggish or unstable, and had plenty of power IMO.

 

^^^^this

 

Why stay away from ram? The Hemi is a stout engine. I know many ppl. that drive rams and love them and have not had problems with them. That said, I know the Dmax's are good, as are the cummins (better engine, worse tranny), and I would not buy a Ford 3/4 or 1ton. I am interested in F150s, but they are expensive and it sounds like there are a lot of problems with them? I would love a 2500 ram or chevy with a diesel, but I don't think I can afford it. I also bought the trailer partly for me to not have to afford an HD truck.

I do like the Tundras, but they are extremely expensive and have half the ability of a ram, etc. Unless you're talking about an 08+ 5.7 but you say to not get the 5.7. Is that purely from an MPG perspective or is there something else about the 4.6 vs. 5.7?

So, that's a no to the 2005-2008 F150 then? I thought they were pretty good, but I guess not?

at 3500 lbs, trailer being 1500 of that, I could only put on another 2000. Not going to cut it for me. I need to be able to max out that trailer and tow it safely. That means 7000lbs min. tow rating. 8-10,000 would be better.

 

My manual states 6400 pounds or about 10,500 combined vehicle and load with tow package. Brakes are the main issue.

 

Get a Dodge diesel---Tow anything anywhere.
You can find a older used one relatively cheap--If you are just going to use it for towing.
Or just rent a truck for one day---how much is that now? $30 buck a day?(lowes comes to mind).
I did the "tow thing" w/my 91toyota 4x4---IT IS DANGEROUS--even with a brake controller.

 

But it's never just one day. You have to assume that if you think you need it for one, it'll be 2 minimum. I know before I bought this trailer, I looked into renting. It was $80/ day. I thought, not bad, but then I thought harder. How many times will I use this? How much effort will it be to go rent it each time? What if they don't have one available? And to top it all off, I have now used my trailer every day for the past 4 days. So, that's going to add up real quick.

Also, I only have an extended cab right now. I can barely fit my son in the back and he's only getting bigger. My wife can't sit in the pass. seat if he's in the back. We plan to have more kids. No, I definitely need a new truck...


You can get a 2004 2500 cummins 5.9 with 100k+ miles for around $22k. No thanks

 

Like I said, people will talk you up in capacity till nothing less than a 3500 turbo diesel will do.

Choose your truck size based on mfg. rated capacity.

And it sounds like your 7k trailer weight is a GROSS weight, (including the weight of the trailer, whatever that is) not a NET cargo capacity.

 

correct. The trailer has 2x 3500 lbs axles = 7000lbs gross - 1500lbs trailer weight = 5500lbs cargo capacity. That can be stretched to 6000 lbs safely (so the manufacturer said). This is of course with trailer wheel brakes, which I don't currently have, but will get when I get a bigger truck.

Either way, I need to be able to pull efficiently and stop safely, an 8000 lb load attached to my truck. I don't think a diesel is necessary either, but I think to be safe, it needs to be bigger than a tacoma. Unfortunately.

 

I wouldn't make a habit out of it. I've been using a tandem 16 ft trailer hauling a lot of busted up cement with my pile of shit 3.4 Pontiac torrent. Yeah it had to go to dealer because I blew a spark plug. Not sure if it was because of towing,perfect timing,or just my stinking luck. Now my trans feels a little strange

 

Stay in the Yota family...Tundra's are sweet for towing. My fathering law has one...tows like a charm...unless you really weigh down the truck and trailer, you don't really feel the trailer is even there. Locally we had a 2009 DC 4x4 25k returned to the bank and the bank was selling it for $21k sometimes you can find really awesome deals if you are really looking. They are out there you just have to do some hunting sometimes.

 

My eyes are open and I have time, so it's definitely on the list.

The difference is that a tacoma cannot legally tow a load that heavy. So if the jobs are further away and I'm on the highway, I could get in trouble with the law man. Is it likely? Probably not, but it's there.

The hitch was 17" off the ground empty, so even when loaded, the trailer was not level. This was good and bad. Good because it kept the tongue weight down and did not overload my rear end at all. Bad because it put extra strain on the rear trailer axle. I also have the Wheeler's 5-leaf pack and 5100s, so that helps a bit.

 

If you really want towing capacity nab a diesel, just be prepared to pay for the fuel to do so. Yes a Dodge with a Cummins diesel will pull anything anywhere but your going to pay for it at the pump. Working at a transmission shop and seeing which trucks come in the most with problems, Chevy 1500 and Ram 1500. We don't see too many Fords, but we had a Chevy week last week and a Dodge week the week before that. Average cost to fix the Chevy $1750. Average cost for the Dodge $2150. Now the average ford is about $2400. And you average Toyota is about $2700.

If you want a diesel and you don't like the crappy transmission that comes with the Dodge, there is an adapter plate to bolt on an Allison to the Cummins diesel we've done a few. Allisons are easy to work on and are fixed usually for less than $2000. But buyer beware an oil change for a diesel will run you close to or more than $200. A transmission service for a diesel will also run you close to or more than $200.

It's up to you, I recommend taking your budget for a truck, seeing what the best available deal is. Take tow capacity, cost of maintenance, and cost of ownership, and find the biggest best truck you can afford and get it. Stay away from someone else's tow rig, you don't know what they towed or how they towed it. I highly recommend when the time comes to get your transmission work on, whatever you get, have the internals beefed up. Some trucks, regardless of manufactures tow rating, were never intended to tow what some people put behind them.

Just cause your transmission made it through this tow, doesn't mean that it will make it through the next one.